| The Kensington Review |
31 August 2005 |
| Latest Commentary: | Volume IV, Number 104 |
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Georgia’s “Photo-ID-to-Vote” Rule is Unconstitutional -- The state of Georgia recently passed a law governing how its elections are held that has some people up in arms. The law requires voters to produce a state-issued, photo ID card in order to vote. Civil rights groups objected that it is a return to “Jim Crow” rules to keep blacks from voting. Proponents say it will eliminate a great deal of voter fraud. The outcome of the debate, though, may hinge only on the fee charged to acquire such a card and not on any grand issues of justice.
Sunnis Caught on Horns of Dilemma -- The Iraqi Parliament decided not to vote on the draft constitution recently presented to it for two reasons. First, there would have been a very large Sunni vote against it, which would have thrown the whole process into doubt. Second, the parliament didn’t need to vote on it. The referendum in October will decide whether the Iraqis have a constitution of their own drafting or whether the Sunnis can figure out how to stop it. The trouble is, to shoot down a constitution they don’t like, the Sunnis will have to accept the legitimacy of the current regime by voting in that referendum. Bush Misses Boat on Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- Hurricane Katrina has killed dozens at least and the insured and uninsured losses may run as high as $25 billion. These effects, however, are local. The interruption of activity in the Gulf of Mexico’s oil industry could have global implications. President Bush, failed oilman, has the power to keep the market from running away with itself, thereby endangering the global economy, but apparently, he needs to finish clearing the brush on his Crawford, Texas, ranch instead. It is a shame he doesn’t play the violin – one could nickname him “Nero.” “Rome” Premieres on HBO -- With “The Sopranos” on hiatus for a few more months and with “Six Feet Under” finished, those who have grown used to a grown-up drama fix every Sunday night from HBO are now at a loss. The network hopes they will find the new soap opera “Rome” a suitable addition. It’s a bit early to tell, but it shows promise. And it probably won’t give the story away too much to say that one of the main characters, Gaius Julius Caesar, isn’t going to die of old age in his bed. © Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux. |
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